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Arsenal have gone third in the Premiership after racking up
their eighth straight home victory of the season.

Arsène Wenger's side had won all five League games and
two Champions League ties at Highbury before today's encounter
with Sunderland. They were always in charge after Robin van Persie
lashed in a 12th minute opener and Thierry Henry gave them even
greater assurance before the break.

The home side were in cruise control for all but seven minutes
of the second half as well. The brief hiatus started when Alan
Stubbs scored for the visitors in the 75th minute, only the second
Premiership goal Arsenal had conceded at Highbury this season. It
ended when Henry fired home from Fabregas' superb pass with
eight minutes left.

This comfortable win takes Arsenal to their highest position
since the Premiership table really took shape. It was also their
sixth game without defeat. But perhaps Arsène Wenger will be
most pleased with the sparkling new strike partnership of Van
Persie and Henry.

The manager made three changes from the side that had swept
aside Sparta Prague in midweek. Jens Lehmann had recovered from his
back complaint and replaced Manuel Almunia in goal while Cesc
Fabregas came in for Mathieu Flamini. The final change was the most
significant - Van Persie for Dennis Bergkamp.

It was a 'football afternoon' in North London. The skies
overhead were grey and there was a hint of rain in the air; it was
cold yet crisp. Perfect conditions for the beautiful
game.

These two sides had met in the Carling Cup less than a fortnight
ago and there seemed to be a cosy sense of over-familiarity in the
opening stages.

The exception came in the seventh minute when Reyes stole the
ball from Stubbs as the former Everton centre back attempt to pass.
The Spaniard, who started on the left wing this afternoon, had a
clear run on goal but pulled his shot wide of Ben Alnwick's
right-hand post. It was great opportunity and he should have done
better.

However the home fans would not have to wait long.

In the 12th minute Sol Campbell pumped a long ball forward and
Van Persie nipped in between two defenders, chested the ball down
before lashing a rasping drive in the net. It was his sixth strike
in his 582nd minute of first-team football this season and keep his
healthy goals-to-games ratio.

The match lost a little focus after that early strike. Arsenal
did not look like adding to their lead and the only chance
Sunderland could muster came when Steven Caldwell's header from
Carl Robinson's free-kick bounced loosely across the face of
goal.

The second goal came nine minutes before the break. It was
well-crafted. Pires fed Van Persie on the centre line and his
first-time flick sent Lauren racing up the right. The former
Sevilla defender weighted his low cross perfectly for Henry to
slide in a shot at the far post. For the record, it was the
Frenchman's seventh in his sixth start this
season.

Arsenal reached the break with a two-goal lead but in truth
had barely broken sweat to achieve it. Sunderland were organised
and committed but little else. It was no surprise when manager Mick
McCarthy made a double substitution at the break. Jon Stead and
Andy Gray were replaced by Anthony le Tallec and Stephen
Elliot.

It did not make much difference. Five minutes in, Kolo Toure
pumped a long ball forward and Henry nodded expertly into the path
of Van Persie. The Dutchman sprinted clear and was faced by
Alnwick, who had rushed out to the edge of his area. Van
Persie attempted to chip the keeper while running at full speed. It
is a difficult trick to pull off but the 22-year-old's
confidence is sky-high at the moment. This time, however, he
'shanked' his effort wide of the post.

The former Feyenoord forward continued to catch the eye. In
the 64th minute he twisted himself into space on the corner of the
area, dropped his shoulder to beat his marker and fired high into
the sidenetting. A minute later his low drive was parried by
Alnwick.

In the 67th minute, Van Persie flicked a lofted pass the Henry
just inside the area and the Frenchman had time to tee-up himself
for an extravagant overhead kick. Alnwick was left a spectator as
the ball bounced off the outside of his left-hand post.

It was Van Persie's last contribution. He was replaced by
Bergkamp in the 70th minute. The 36-year-old striker was making in
300th Premiership appearance for the Club and on the strength of
recent performances, the man he replaced is set for similarly long
future at Arsenal.

The home team were playing Champagne football and seemed totally
in control.

Then Sunderland got themselves back into the game.

Daryl Murphy's corner was nodded down by Caldwell and Stubbs
stabbed the ball through a crowded goalmouth and into the
area.

Their optimism did not last long. With eight minutes left,
Fabregas threaded a gorgeous throughball to Henry and the French
striker buried No 189 of his Arsenal career.

The revival continues.

MATCH PICTURES

Jose Antonio Reyes shields the ballRobin van Persie cracks in our
openerRobin celebratesThierry Henry slides in at the far
post....and makes it 2-0Thierry and Robert celebrateThierry bursts
through late in the gameHenry rounds off a grat performance with
his second goal

2005/06
FIXTURE LIST Copyright 2015 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the sourceRichard Clarke4 Nov 2005

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